The NFL draft is finally here — and so are dozens of mock drafts, all just as likely to guess wrong on what the Ravens will do in the first round Thursday night.

Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s draft and where the team stands.

How to watch

TV: ESPN, ABC (Channels 2, 7), NFL Network

Time: 8 p.m. Thursday (Round 1), 7 p.m. Friday (Rounds 2-3), noon Saturday (Rounds 4-7)

Ravens picks

The Ravens have five selections in this year’s draft:

• Round 1 (No. 22 overall)
• Round 3 (No. 86)
• Round 4 (No. 124)
• Round 5 (No. 157)
• Round 6 (No. 199)

They traded their second-round pick to Chicago in last season’s trade for Bears inside linebacker Roquan Smith. They traded their seventh-round pick to the New York Giants, along with guard Ben Bredeson, as part of a 2021 deal for a 2022 fourth-round pick, which became offensive tackle Daniel Faalele.

Ravens needs

The Ravens are expected to address several roster holes in this weekend’s draft. Here’s where help is most needed:

• Cornerback: After keeping quiet in free agency, the Ravens could target an outside cornerback to pair with starter Marlon Humphrey. They could also look for a slot corner, with nickelback Kyle Hamilton expected to move to safety. Analysts consider this a strong draft for the position; NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has 15 cornerbacks among his top 100 prospects.
• Wide receiver: The Ravens signed Nelson Agholor in March and Odell Beckham Jr. earlier this month, adding veteran experience to a room that last year relied on Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay, Still, the Ravens need more long-term help at the position. Even if they pass on a Day 1 wide receiver, they could find an impact player in the second or third round.
• Defensive line: The Ravens have three potential standout starters at the position in Michael Pierce, Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington — all of whom are set to reach free agency in 2024. Team officials will need to be proactive about developing depth along their defensive front.
• Guard: The Ravens lost starting left guard Ben Powers in free agency, and starting right guard Kevin Zeitler, 33, is entering the final year of his contract. General manager Eric DeCosta likes to take at least one offensive lineman in every draft, and an interior presence this year would make a lot of sense.
• Outside linebacker: Justin Houston, the team’s most productive edge rusher last season, is still unsigned. Tyus Bowser, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, while talented, combined for just six sacks in 2022. The Ravens don’t need to add a difference-maker, but the group still has to bolster its depth.

Ravens targets

The Ravens could trade their first-round pick for more draft capital, as they have in years past. But if they hold steady at No. 22, here are ESPN’s approximate odds that players linked to the team could be available.

• Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 5%
• Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.: 5%
• Texas running back Bijan Robinson: 10%
• Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness: 10%
• Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers: 55%
• Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks: 70%
• USC wide receiver Jordan Addison: 75%
• TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston: 80%
• Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes: 90%
• Alabama safety Brian Branch: 95%

Draft coverage

Get ready for the draft with the help of The Baltimore Banner’s analysis.

• For Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, NFL draft could prompt a reckoning: ‘What does Plan B really look like?’
• Ravens mock draft: Need an impact CB and a bigger class? First-round trades pave the way.
• The case for the Ravens trading down in the first round — and five potential deals they could make
• The case for the Ravens drafting Maryland CB Deonte Banks in the first round
• The case for the Ravens drafting Alabama safety Brian Branch in the first round
• The case for the Ravens drafting TCU WR Quentin Johnston in the first round
• Ravens draft needs: Cornerback and wide receiver top the list, but don’t overlook the lines
• Ravens mock draft: If Lamar Jackson leaves, can Eric DeCosta really find quality QBs ‘all over the place’?
• The Ravens want to build through the draft. Lamar Jackson’s trade request leaves them with a shaky foundation.

First-round history

Here’s a look at the Ravens’ past 10 first-round picks:

• 2022: Safety Kyle Hamilton (No. 14 overall), center Tyler Linderbaum (No. 25)
• 2021: Wide receiver Rashod Bateman (No. 27), outside linebacker Odafe Oweh (No. 31)
• 2020: Inside linebacker Patrick Queen (No. 28)
• 2019: Wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (No. 25)
• 2018: Tight end Hayden Hurst (No. 25), quarterback Lamar Jackson (No. 32)
• 2017: Cornerback Marlon Humphrey
• 2016: Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley

Draft order

The NFL stripped the Miami Dolphins of a 2023 first-round pick after finding them guilty last year of tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton while they were under contract with other teams. That leaves just 31 picks in this year’s first round.

1. Carolina Panthers
2. Houston Texans
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Seattle Seahawks
6. Detroit Lions
7. Las Vegas Raiders
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Chicago Bears
10. Philadelphia Eagles
11. Tennessee Titans
12. Houston Texans
13. Green Bay Packers
14. New England Patriots
15. New York Jets
16. Washington Commanders
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
18. Detroit Lions
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Seattle Seahawks
21. Los Angeles Chargers
22. Ravens
23. Minnesota Vikings
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. New York Giants
26. Dallas Cowboys
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Cincinnati Bengals
29. New Orleans Saints
30. Philadelphia Eagles
31. Kansas City Chiefs

jonas.shaffer@thebaltimorebanner.com